Amazing story of a blind cat who outperforms all the early predictions for his life and his"mom". Gwen Cooper's writing is masterful as she takes you through the highs and lows of their life. Even if you're not a cat lover this is an inspiring story.

By the end of the book felt like I lived this life with Homer and Gwen. My friends recommended this book and I’m glad I listened.

A charming and engaging read. Highly recommend.

best book ever. I love Homer, kudos to his mom. I love this series.!!!!

If you love cats you will love Homer and this book! What a wonderful real-life story of a woman, who despite owning two cats and living in an apartment, adopts a blind kitten. But he's not just blind, he has no eyes, as his eyes were removed when he was just a very young kitten. But the story of the travails and triumphs of cute little Homer will melt your heart! You'll read how he managed to map out his home in three dimensions using his senses of hearing, touch, smell, and perhaps a sixth sense of knowing all. His sixth sense allow him to run around and jump up on various furnishings without bumping into walls or otherwise hurting himself. You'll also read how Homer and his two cat friends were trapped in their apartment for days because their building was in the danger zone after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. (Without giving away the story, they came through without a scratch due to the derring-do of Homer's human mom.) If you love cats and the people who love them you will really enjoy reading Homer's story.

Anyone who says they own a cat or cats is deluding themselves. You can never keep a cat inside if they sincerely want to get out. They will return when they choose to. This book covers a very special animal that returned the love and affection in special ways. The defense of his person and his space is heartwarming. We occasionally hear of a mother cat braving fire to save her kittens. I have seen reports of a cat leading the children of their owner out of a house fire. I know of at least one more incident in the US Midwest where a blind cat attacked a burglar and ran him out of her house. It takes a very special person to be a companion to a cat like Homer. He survived being blinded by an illness, being trapped in a NY apartment adjacent to ground zero in 9/11,and later in life a serious illness. All of this would not have occurred without an exceptional degree of love and care being given and shared. The world is a better place for Homer and his person,Gwen, being in it. You will enjoy reading this book. High literature it isn't. Reading is meant to be fun. I rather loudly laughed in the middle of a restaurant while reading and eating. Read it with your kids or grand kids or a friends kids. You will greatly enjoy the experience.

This is a story of triumph in the face of adversity, both for Homer and Gwen. It takes a special person to decide to adopt an abandoned, blind kitten when you know there is going to require special attention and care. Gwen didn't shrink from this challenge. She accepted it with the love only a true pet lover knows. I have, among other pets, three rescue cats, who bring me love and challenges to my life but I wouldn't trade them for the world. I wish I could write a long, beautiful review about the joy that this book brought to me, but if you just read the Editorial Review for this book. It says it all, and if I may, I'd like to quote one part from it. "But it was Homer’s unswerving loyalty, his infinite capacity for love, and his joy in the face of all obstacles that inspired Gwen daily and transformed her life. And by the time she met the man she would marry, she realized Homer had taught her the most important lesson of all: Love isn’t something you see with your eyes." Read this book about this wonder cat and also follow Homer's odyssey on Gwen's Facebook page dedicated to Homer - Homer Blind WonderCat.

Incredible story that was difficult to put down. No wonder it's a best seller. Personally, I'm not a "cat person." I'm very much a dog person, but this book is for anyone who cares.

Homer is a truly remarkable cat, and being blind does not hold him back at all. He has adventures, gets along with his house mates, land continues to Amuse and confound the reader with his antics and intelligence. A must read for cat lovers)z

Loved this book from the beginning to the end. But I am already a cat lover as two of them are laying right next to me in bed right now. The one thing I did not like about this book was the quick transition from getting to her apartment after 9/11 and the cats jumping in her lap, to the next paragraph that said the next morning she wrote checks to her cat sitter and the ASPCA. I really wanted to know how she got all of the Cats her personal stuff the cat litter box the litter the cat food etc etc down 31 flights of stairs.

I originally purchased Homer's Odyssey on my Kindle, and I am now getting a hard copy because I loved it so much. Not only does Mrs. Cooper tell the tale with obvious love and enthusiasm, but she provides several insights that I think are right on the money. I love that she thinks of her cats as family and accepts them as they are. She committed to her first two cats sight-unseen and she understands that they will have whatever personality they have. I felt a kinship with her when she spoke of her somewhat anti-social (and secretly loving) Scarlett as having a bad PR problem. My older cat (I have two) is just the same. I related Homer with my sometimes wild and always curious younger cat. I am also not ashamed to admit that I do just as Mrs. Cooper does and interpret my cat's looks and moods, along with occasional smart-alec comments. Although some readers apparently thought her preoccupation with her cats in the wake of 9/11 was ridiculous or insensitive to the suffering, I disagree. She felt an obligation to protect them and to save them from where they were trapped. They were at her mercy, unable to help themselves. She never once belittled or questioned the greater suffering and loss going on all around New York. She was responsible for those cats, and she did what she had to do to take care of them. Bottom Line: Outstanding book. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and definitely held my cats a little closer after reading it.

From the forward by the Vet who linked the author with Homer, you will be hooked. Gwen's description of the immediate bond she formed with a totally blind kitten is amazingly powerful - all cat lovers will relate I know. This is a truly a wonderful read both for the story line (Gwen's and Homer's) and how beautifully written the narrative is. For anyone who has ever lived with a cat(s), Gwen's descriptions of Homer, Scarlett and Vashti will make you smile and go "Oh Yes - I know that behavior". For anyone who has taken their cat on a plane, you will smile and laugh as Gwen describes her flight to NYC from Miami, three cats in tow. For those who always worry when our beloved felines are alone, you will cry for Gwen as, in desperation, she attempts to get to her cats who were alone in her apartment near Ground Zero the first days after 9/11. And you will be impressed by her determination to get to her pets by-hook-or-by-crook and how, by God, she does it! To quote the review from People magazine: "This memoir about adopting a special-needs kitten teaches that sometimes in life, you have to take a blind leap." For those of you who read "Dewey" or "A Cat Named Squeeky", this book is their equal. The memoir will move you in ways you can't imagine about the bond between we humans and our cats. "Homer's Odyssey" rates 5 out of 5 stars. I have recommended it to many friends who have enjoyed it just as much as I did. Do get and read this - you will be so glad that you did. Enjoy.

I must say that this has to be one of the best books I have read in my life!!! Being a cat aficionado as well presently as being "owned" by 6 felines (and loving furry friends that have passed) I was hesitant that this book might just be another cat book. After getting a little ways into the book, I knew that I was wrong. Homer and mom (Gwen) hooked me into the story and didn't let up until the very last page. I must say that I was sad to finish this wonderful book and kept delaying reading the finish. Like a fine meal or the last glass of a great wine, one doesn't want to finish the pleasure. Ms. Cooper is a master at writing so that one can visualize (no pun intended) what is going on in her life as well as the darkened world of Homer and how he is able to live and embrace life to the fullest. How they enhance each others lives is a true miracle. I would LOVE to meet Ms. Cooper and tell her how much she brightened MY life with the story of Homer and his siblings. It made me go back to my room and hug my little furry child and tell him how much he means to me in my life...and how happy I am that he came into it. My recommendation to prospective readers: READ THE BOOK!!! You won't regret it...I guarantee it! Regards from the Marshall Islands.

Read from April 01 to 06, 2015 OMG! I am in love with Homer! This cat Gwen rescued from her vet is the most touching stories I have read in a while. He was brought in by some people at around 3 weeks with messed up eyes. They said they found him and wanted him euthanized. Well the vet wasn't having any of that, she removed his eyes and when no one wanted him, her last resort was to ask Gwen who already had two cats and couldn't afford another one at the time. She couldn't help herself and took him! The stories about Homer learning the lay of his land in the house is amazing! He just had a strong will to live and discover things. You just have to read the book to get the full effect! I have to say my favorite part of the book is with the burglar. I laughed so hard I thought I was going to crack a rib! Who ever heard of a blind attack cat! Well that burglar was stunned to say the least. I can not believe how funny that scene was, I would like to write it out here but I will save it so you can buy the book :) I am going to add a SPOILER!!!!!! IT'S A PART FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK!!! **SPOILER** *TAKEN FROM THE BOOK* When I walked in with my date, Homer ran to greet me at the door. And there, hanging from his mouth, was a tampon. The whiteness of it stood out against his black fur in vivid, mortifying relief. He scampered around in gleeful triumph for a moment, then promptly ran over and sat expectantly on his haunches in front of me, tampon clutched in between his jaws like a dog with a rawhide bone. My date looked taken aback, to say the least, "What the....is that a.." He stammered for a moment, before finally managing, "Did something happen to your cat?" I hunkered down on my heels, and Homer happily climbed into my lap, dropping the purloined tampon at my feet. "He's fine," I answered. "He doesn't have any eyes, is all." *END* I thought that summed up Homer to a capital T! I recommend this book to one and all, it's a very inspirational story about a cat that beat the odds! Find my Reviews at: www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1243096074

What a great book! Wow! I bought the Kindle edition and devoured it in a few days. The last day I read the 9/11 rescue story and the illness story, along with the wedding, and I have tell you I was crying non-stop. Many pet epics (like "Dewey") end with the decline and death of the pet. This one ends with Homer's decline and old age but not death. The 9/11 story was gripping! I was just on the edge of my chair as I hit the next page button on my Kindle over and over, my eyes gobbling up the words like kittens can gobble up food pellets. I have to admit that I am a real lover of animal books, having had cats for over 20 years. My last cat died 2 years ago and I'm still waiting for that "special someone" to come back into my life. I was just so struck by how Ms. Cooper made the reader feel like they were on the inside of her special relationship with Homer. Thank you, Gwen. Ms. Cooper also made her other 2 cats, Vashti and Scarlett, come to life, too, so I applaud her for that. The story of how Vashti came around to her husband Laurence was touching, and even Scarlett got a special friend near the end of the book. No cat left behind! This is a great book, a fast read but not light and fluffy. Rather it has the kind of thoughtfulness "this is what is going on inside my head" that I love and respect. I'm buying copies for my family and friends.